RUSSIAN OCCUPIERS TEAR ROOF FROM UPTsKP CHURCH NOT FAR FROM NOVOAZOVSK
In the zone of the Anti-Terrorist Operation [ATO], in the village of Oktiabr of Donetsk province, Russian troops tore the cupola from the Transfiguration of the Savior church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev patriarchate [UPTsKP]. This was reported on his Facebook page by UPTsKP Archbishop of Chernigov and Nezhin Evstraty, referring to local residents, Ekspres Onlain reports.
"According to a report from local residents, occupiers in the village of Oktiabr in the Krasnoarmeisk village soviet of the Novoazovsk district of Donetsk province tore the cupola from the Transfiguration of the Savior church of the UPTs of the Kiev patriarchate," the archbishop wrote. He said that the occupiers explain this by the fact that the cupola is made of shiny metal and may serve as a guide for directing artillery. An appeal to the command post brought no response and the attack on the church has not ceased, the archbishop reported.
"Vandalism by Russian troops (and it is they who are quartered in the village of Oktiabr, which is located not far from Mariupol) is continuing. Residents fear even to send photographs; they could only send information to their priest, who was forced in August to leave his parish along with his family after shooting by the occupiers," Archbishop Evstraty explained. He noted that the priest is asking for help in protecting the church from vandalism.
"How is still not very clear. The only thing that can be done now in this situation is to spread information," the head of the information department of the Kiev patriarchate stressed. (tr. by PDS, posted 30 March 2015)
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